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The Forgotten Valley Part 2 transcript
The Forgotten Valley Part 2 Transcript Rigorous River Grim: This should make an interesting report for the Council: G: a valley, not even on the maps, a centuries old mageknight, and potentially the location of the Crown... Mage: And our very own, revealed to have demon blood. G: A very interesting report, indeed. G: While Ava and Eron are scouting, it would seem opportune to decide what exactly will be done about this situation. M: What do you know about this "demon blood"? How could that happen? G: There are records of rituals, though usually the blood of a common demon isn't strong enough. I've never heard of a successful one. Harrowing Hilltop M: Ava's lived in the Citadel her whole life. Where could she have fallen prey to such a ritual? G: Ah, yes, because no forbidden magics are ever performed in the Citadel. High marks for naïve assumptions, mage. G: I think the question you should be asking is not why, or how, but rather, what now? M: What choice do I have? Keeping this a secret, keeping Eron a secret, it would be treason. G: Ah yes, loyalty can be a terribly tricky thing sometimes. G: There is one fact that is undeniable: this demon blood of hers could be useful. Especially if the Cult succeeds in unleashing the Demon Princes. Overgrown Trail G: Here they come. Even my middle chapters can hear that bickering from around the bend. Ava: ...It is absolutely insane! Eron: I cannot explain it, demon. I can only say it has always been thus, and will always be. A: But, really, how can you like Raggleseed Pudding? It's revolting! G: Fighting about food? Does this mean you're already over this entrapment spell business? A: Oh, no. I still hate him. A lot. E: Ahead, we discovered another clutch of Cynomancers. We did away with several. M: What are they doing here? E: They appeared to be transporting something: a chest. I imagine it contains the rest of the items they've stolen. M: Look! We've caught up to one. Cynomancer: Stop! You enter the heart of the valley. Who passes here, nowhere else shall go. Antique Route G: I suppose it would take the fun out of things if we actually listened to someone that told us to turn around. M: You hoping to get back on the bookshelf? G: Not at all. It's amazing the things humans do when they don't realize you're watching. Do you know how much the Doyen picks his nose? A: There is a collection of paintings in the Citadel, showing demon possession. Some of them are fairly ancient. E: Have you seen "The Despair of Alagalia"? A: It shows the woman with the broken back, right? It doesn't – that doesn't happen to everyone with a bit of demon blood, does it? E: That will not happen to you, Ava. I'll make sure of it. M: Those things just keep coming! G: I have a feeling they're related to our friend, Demon Eyed Balon. And eradicating him should get these monsters to back down. Remote Rut E: Ah. M: What? E: Balon. He has passed this way, and recently. I feel... strange. M: Have you seen him before? E: Yes. There was a time... yes. I have seen him before. M: Ahead! A Cynomancer guard, it seems. E: I feel a strange calling. Let us move up the path! E: Oh... but I had thought it lost. Magnus' shield. Please, grab the shield from that weapon stash. E: My dear friend. I had hoped I would see this upon his arm, but I suppose this means it is true: Magnus is dead and Balon killed him. Timeworn Lane M: Wait, Eron! What do you mean, that Balon killed him? Who's Magnus? G: Doesn't look like he's going to wait for us. A: I'll go with him. Not that I, you know, have a choice. G: Alone, at last! Now that those two huffy cretins are off, I can go back to ridiculing your intelligence. M: … G: Oh, don't look so sour. Would it make you feel better if I gave you a little treat? The tasty confection that is knowledge, that is. M: What is it? G: I'll tell you once you get rid of this Kraken. G: I know who Magnus is. M: That's in your, uh, pages? G: No, I met him once, long ago. He was a warrior, well known for his strong stance against demons. G: There were rumors that, if the Paladins were real, he was their leader. A: Ah, here you are. Eron's just ahead. I think there's something you're going to want to see. M: What was that? G: Incredible. I really need to have a discussion with the Council about what they're teaching young mages. E: It's an illusion anchor. This Valley is not what it seems. There will be others. Let's keep moving. Archaic Alley A: So, how is it that you can sense my demon blood, but not simple magic traps like illusions? E: The gods' gifts are not given freely... or without agendas. G: Ah, the gods! Greedy, self-interested and thoughtless creatures, aren't they? A: So, are we to believe that you actually met the gods? The Celestial, the Fanged, all the Nameless? E: There was a time I walked before them, and took their pact. They spoke the terms, and we accepted. Not that we were given a choice. A: Can you talk to them now? E: ...No. The last time I called to them, they did not answer. They have left us. Bygone Pathway E: If Balon killed Magnus, he is more powerful than I previously thought. M: What do you mean? E: Magnus was the first Paladin, and most powerful. I find myself at a crossroads. If I draw you to Balon, he will certainly destroy you E: and yours. But I cannot leave, cannot leave Magnus' killer with this trap he's created, this terrible Valley. M: So, what to do? E: I believe there is only one option. I am not strong enough to destroy him on my own, but with your creatures... G: Certainly you don't expect us to relinquish our party to you. E: Quite the opposite, though my idea involves something a bit unorthodox – and dangerous. Cynomancer: Monsters, monsters come to the valley! Take my treasure – no one takes my treasure! Obsolete Track A: Ugh! I hate those things! G: Yes, they are not in my top ten favorite things that try to kill us. E: This way. A: Where are you taking us? E: Come on. There isn't time to tarry here, demon. M: Eron, stop. Where are we going? E: Goodness, must I – fine. Ahead, lies the den of the dragon. G: Um. Dragon? Did he say dragon? Must I remind you that I am extremely flammable? E: We need dragon blood, for the ritual. Dragon's Den M: Any idea what kind of ritual we're talking about, Grim? G: Using dragon blood? Could be a transmutation ritual, a protection ward, weather conjuring, there's even precedent for baking rituals. M: Somehow I doubt Eron is planning on baking us a cake. E: We grow near. I shall go around to flank it. Ava, with me. A: Sigh. Yes, sir. M: Yikes. That's a dragon. G: I thought – wasn't Eron supposed to be here? M: Looks like we're taking it on ourselves! G: Uh, grab some of its blood, will you? Yuck. E: Ah, good, you've succeeded. A: We got caught by some Cynomancers. Turns out the demon blood doesn't just make them easier to spot. They're also easier to kill. M: Let's move on before more come. Rusty Riverside E: Hurry. We've got work to do. We need to find another of the anchors. M: What for? E: It will be easier to show you. M: You got any idea what's going on? A: I don't know why you're asking me, I'm just the resident demon cargo. G: Self pity, always an admirable trait. I liked you better when you were threatening to turn my pages into confetti. A: The threat still stands. M: Another! Is it just me, or are there more of them here? E: Balon has sent them. Though only enough to slow us, not to stop us. He's waiting for us. Remote Byway G: So, how exactly do you know that this Demon Eye fellow killed your friend? E: Magnus' shield was given to him by the gods – he would not have let it go while alive."Trade heart and soul for shield and sword." A: I am sorry, you know, about your friend. I know what it's like to lose someone, a brother of sorts. E: Your kindness, I fear, is misplaced. He would have killed you in an instant. A: Wonderful. E: He was the holiest of us all, the least conflicted. There were times we had to hold him back. E: He would have faced the dark gods himself if given the chance. G: Sounds like he'd be a hit at a party. M: Ahead, there's another of the Cynomancers. Perhaps we can learn something from him. Cynomancer: The treasure is mine! M: We don't want your treasure. We just want to know where Balon is. C: Ack! Away, creature! The gold is here, there is gold hidden everywhere in the valley, gold and rubies and silver plates and - G: Give him a coin, why don't you? M: Here, see this? I'll give it to you, if you tell me how to find Balon. C: Gold! Give it to me, creature, give it to me or I will take it take it take it. Trunks of Relic A: What has he done to those creatures? They seem mad with greed. E: The curse, I imagine. To always want, and never be filled. G: I think you just described the entire human race. E: Mage-friend. I would like to trust you. Indeed, my success in this endeavor relies upon my ability to trust you. M: You can trust me. E: Then, please understand, Balon is evil, but perhaps not in the way you are accustomed to. M: What do you mean? E: I aim to put my life in your hands, friend. But I need to know that you will not mishandle that responsibility. That is all. Mail of Antiquity A: So, this Balon is a terrifying bad guy that has killed Paladins in the past, and we're rushing to go meet him. Am I missing anything? G: Oh, I think you're missing the part where he can kill someone with one look. E: He cannot kill me such. He could ensnare me with his water spell, but killing a Paladin with a spell is impossible. A: So how could he have killed Magnus? E: Through the most devastating sort of magic: trust. G: So, what's the nastiest demon you ever killed? I hear there are pretty gross sludge demons out in the Rothwar Swamp. G: Or, say, a nasty ol' Demon Prince. Ever fought one of those? E: I have never had the displeasure of facing one, though... A: What? You know something about them? E: When I entered the Valley, the Demon Princes were in searching for Paladins. Bent on killing us. But the rumors were that a Prince had been captured somehow. E: But the rumors were that a Prince had been captured somehow. A: Maybe that's what the Cult is seeking! G: You sure we want to keep going? Seems like a lot of effort for someone we just met. G: We could cut and run, leave the witch and the Paladin to sort things out. M: He'd be an undeniable ally in fighting the Cult, Grim. I don't think we have any option here. Old Fashioned Fir E: Here, we enter the Garden of Anchors. A: How do you know so much about this place? E: Before I came, there were stories of a place, forgotten by the world, containing many lost treasures. E: Magnus sought the location, in hopes of finding the crown. Balon beat him here. E: Now, friend, we must proceed by gathering magic from each stone. E: We'll use this stone to enact the summoning ritual. A: Oh, Nameless. He means to give you summoning powers. For him. E: It is the only way. M: Why the long faces? Ava's done the same thing, and seems no worse for wear. G: He's a God Paladin. By signing himself into your service, he is shifting allegiance from the gods to you, and putting himself in your power. A: If the gods are still up there, they're going to be angry. E: Here, the final anchor of the garden. You defeat its protectors; I shall enact the ritual. M: But wait, are you sure? E: There is no other option, friend. From the ritual onward, I shall be bound to you. E: My friend, I am yours. Thriving Thicket A: Argh! The entrapment is still here! E: Alas, a spell from the gods is not altered by simple changes of loyalty. E: Those that have escaped the Paladin spell ave done so through falling to the Abyss. G: Well, that's always an option. E: Never fear, little demon. When this is over, I have some ideas on ways we might temper your blood. And then, you will be free of me. G: The ability to summon a Paladin. Seems like a fun thing to abuse. M: Grim.. G: You could summon him to clean your bathroom. You can get him to serve you dinner. You can make him fight off hobgoblins. M: I can't make him let Ava go. Desolation Den A: I feel strange. Itchy. E: Balon's power is strong here. It calls to your blood. In my time, those with demon blood were easily called to join with demons. A: I would never- E: I know, I know. But just as the wings of a moth give it a special power to escape the candle it shall always be drawn to the flame. C: Yes, yes, this way, monsters! Come meet our master. G: Yuck. Nasty creatures. Enough to make my pages curl. C: Onward! This way, this way! A: Ugh, let's just put it out of its misery. Age-Old Aisle G: I don't know about you all, but it seems like we should be a bit nervous if those things are trying to lead us somewhere. A: They are terrible, aren't they? G: Absolutely repulsive. E: In my time, there were many rumors about what Balon dabbled with. Some said he made a pact with the Fanged god himself A: For what? A scary valley full of creepy wolf-headed monsters? E: For the Fanged Crown. That when the final dawn crested, he might have some control. That was the story, at least. C: Treasure, treasure lies ahead for all that see his eyes. Follow me, and gaze into the Demon Eye! G: Yes, let's keep walking, this seems like a grand idea. Crroked Creek E: Ahead, I believe, we're nearing another center of the illusion wards. G: What, you want to give me summoning powers too? I'd be honored. I've been looking for a slave to oil my spine for centuries. E: I would expect more respect from a soul whose fate literally rests in another's hands. G: Soul? Who said I had one of those? E: I find your book... inscrutable. G: I'm right here. I can hear you. M: He's, yes. Well, he's a character. But he means well. Though I don't know much about his history. G: Seriously, can hear you right now. E: I've heard of living objects, and yet, I sense this is not an object, but something trapped within an object. G: Fine, I'm going to my sleep chapters to take a nap. Runner's Rivulet E: This valley, the very fabric of what we see, smell, feel, it is all an illusion. G: So you've said. E: The entire valley is meant to attract, ensnare, and destroy. Without its help, Balon will be, well, only immortal. E: Ahead, the Cynomancer. Summon me, and see what we can't do to destroy our foe. Path to Glory G: Ah, I see why he chose to set up that illusion, then. A: I don't mind this. It reminds me of home. G: Darkness, stone, and murderous bad guys? Sounds romantic. A: No, not that. When I was studying at the Citadel, to become a Lightbringer, they trained us in the crypts. It was all very secretive. G: Yes, that doesn't sound suspicious at all. E: Ahead, another den of Cynomancers. C: Your brother is waiting, Paladin. Your brother is waiting for your return. Treasures, waiting in his eyes. Heathen's Hollow G: So, assuming we survive this genius idea of a mission, what do you intend to do to cure our little witch of the demon problem? A: Still not a witch. E: The most important thing is to discover the source and from my understanding, demon breeding is no longer accepted... A: Uh, no. There was no breeding. Absolutely no breeding happened, thank you. E: So it is almost certainly a matter of ingestion. We'll find the root of the problem. G: Seems this little Ava and Eron debacle might lead us away from our actual mission. G: Which, may I remind you, is to chase down those pesky Demon Princes. M: I haven't forgotten, Grim. Gory Grotto A: He referred to Balon as your brother. G: "Magnus, the King, and his brothers: loyal Eron, proud Mabon, clever Arton, good Darron, strong Sulon..." E: "...and brave Balon." A: Are you telling us... this guy is a Paladin? E: He was a Paladin. He is my brother no longer. A: So he, what, defected? E: When we sought the Crown... Magnus grew obsessed. There were some that disagreed with him, that aimed to do something about it. A: So they, what, killed him? E: I know nothing. They created a ruse that led me away, in search of a demon. And when I returned, Balon and Magnus were gone. A: No one else did anything, while you were gone? G: "Loyal Eron." A: And what of "good Darron" or "strong Sulon"? E: Darron, I heard he was killed. The others were... confused. They lived too long. Sulon was mad, by then. Carnage Cavern E: We're growing close. I can feel it. Do you feel it, Ava? A: I do. C: I've been waiting for you, brother. M: What's wrong with his voice? Is that...? E: Balon. Balon: It took you long enough, didn't it? E: Ignore him. Onward! B: Boring, straightforward Eron. Not an imaginative bone in his body. E: He speaks with Balon's voice, but doesn't have his power. Onward! B: And you, Mage, do you know who you walk with? You, Ava, do you know whose blood runs in your veins? A: I'd like to see your blood. Why don't I open you up and take a look? M: This one's mine. Balon's Challenge E: We're getting close. He wouldn't be throwing this many of his minions at us if we weren't nearly at him. B: Loyal Eron. Who would have died for Magnus. Do you know what happened, Eron? A: This guy is really getting on my nerves. B: I told him I knew where the Crown was. It was here, in this Valley. He put on the Crown and what – nothing happened. G: Only one worthy can wear the Crown. B: Loyal Eron, do you know what he did? When he saw that the Crown had no power, that I meant to kill him? He begged me to end him. E: I'll kill you. B: He didn't even fight. M: No, I'll kill him. B: Hello, there. Why don't you let me take a look at you. E: Don't look in his eyes! You many be a master of tricks, Balon, but you cannot kill a Paladin that fights back. Summon me, Mage! M: His face, why does his face look like thaaaaa- E: Turn away! He'll drain your soul in an instant! Summon me, and your creatures. We'll handle this. E: To the Abyss, where you belong! G: Let me see that Crown. Incredible. I've searched – I've heard of people searching for centuries for this. M: We've got the Crown. Eron, I trust you're satisfied? Let's get out of this thundering valley. E: Indeed. A fallen Paladin down, three Demon Princes to go. We'd best get on our way, then. Category:Transcripts Category:Events